Slideshow: Currier & Ives: An American Panorama

Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, VA Oct 19th 1781 From the Origianl Painting by Colonel Trumbull in the Capitol at Washington

Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, VA Oct 19th 1781 From the Origianl Painting by Colonel Trumbull in the Capitol at Washington
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Nathaniel Currier
Hand-colored lithograph

Currier & Ives produced at least five prints illustrating the surrender of General Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia in 1781. The surrender marked the end of the American Revolution and the birth of a new nation. In the same way that the lithograph of the Battle at Bunker's Hill was created, this print's composition is based on a painting of the same subject created by John Trumbull (1756-1843). The great masters of history painting, including Benjamin West, John Singleton Copley and Jacques-Louis David, influenced Trumbull, who became known for his paintings of the leaders and events of the Revolution. Trumbull captured the spirit of colonial troops in his works by intensely studying the battles and military heroes of the Revolution. Although not always historically accurate, the scenes are significant in that they represented heroic deeds of the colonials and the courage and strength of the newly independent nation.

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